Fired Torrington teacher plans to sue school district

TORRINGTON >> A fired Torrington High School Latin and Italian teacher says he plans to sue the Torrington Board of Education for wrongful termination, after he says district administrators failed to help him obtain teaching certification in Connecticut, along with other allegations.

Giulio Romano says he was born in Rome, but was living in Houston, Texas when Torrington district officials hired him, prompting his cross-country move. Romano says he was fired in Feb. 2013, after serving as a "de facto" teacher since the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year.

Romano says he intends to represent himself through the suit. The complaint must pass several hurdles to become a lawsuit. Romano has paid a $250 fee, and he next must deliver the paperwork to Litchfield Superior Court clerks, showing defendants, the Torrington Board of Education, were served a copy of the suit.

Once all deadlines are met and proper documentation provided to court clerks, the case will receive a docket number and a hearing will be scheduled. A return date of Aug. 6 is listed on paperwork initiating the lawsuit.

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Torrington Board of Education Chair Kenneth Traub said he was aware of an "intent to sue" letter delivered to the district's Migeon Avenue office approximately six weeks ago, but was unsure if the district was served with the complaint on Friday, as Romano claims.

Traub was unable to address the lawsuit's specific allegations, but said, "In this case and every other case I'm sure that protocol was followed and the actions that were taken were in the best interests of the Torrington Public School system."

Superintendent Cheryl Kloczko responded to a reporter's request for comment via email, saying she couldn't comment because of "confidentiality."

The summons focuses on two allegations levied against the district by Romano, in the complaint he hopes will become a lawsuit. First, Romano says that Torrington Public Schools improperly fired him for failing to obtain teacher certification.

Romano says that the district should have known that since he was "foreign born," that, "certification as a teacher in the State of Connecticut may take more time than that of individuals educated in the United States."

In the complaint, Romano writes that officials breached "implied contract," when he was fired, as Torrington Board of Education's employees, "agreed to assist the plaintiff in becoming fully certified as a full time teacher in the State of Connecticut."

"Why should I accept their decision to fire me based on the fact that I wasn't a certified teacher? While themselves, they themselves, and I'm talking about [the director of student and professional operations William Joslyn] were the ones who told me, 'We will support you with your certification, that's why you came in here,'" said Romano.

In a letter dated Feb. 13, 2013, on the Torrington Board of Education's letterhead with an apparent signature from Kloczko, given to a reporter by Romano, board of education officials lay out the reasons Romano was fired.

Further, the letter alleges that on Feb. 6 Romano used the work "dyke" in the classroom, "and offended several students."

The letter says Romano was insubordinate when he failed to provide Torrington High School Principal Joanne Creedon with a written letter explaining his conduct. The letter then says, "You failed to secure Connecticut State Teacher Certification."

Finally, board of education officials allege in the February letter that, "You failed to follow through with the Torrington Board of Education's criminal background and fingerprinting procedures."

Romano says he obtained fingerprints from Torrington Police, which he says should have been sufficient.

State Department of Education officials wrote in a 2010 Bureau of Educator Standards and Certification document that, "Fingerprinting by a local police department is NOT recommended," because police departments cannot share information among many school districts. However, the document does not appear to bar fingerprinting by a local police agency.

Addressing the delay of his teacher certification, Romano said because his undergraduate work was not translated by one of three services approved by the State Department of Education, he was unable to submit the credentials immediately for evaluation.

What appears to be a letter from Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor state the same, and is dated one month after Romano's firing.

"Upon receipt of a credential evaluation from one of the approved services, we will be able to determine your eligibility for Connecticut certification," reads the letter which appears to be signed by Pryor.

Romano also alleges that the district should have provided his full $74,000 salary, rather than per diem pay accorded to long-term substitutes. In the complaint, Romano estimates his pay should have been $410 per day, rather than "approximately $250 per diem" accorded to long-term substitutes.